What does Python fix?

[Hans Nowak]

Russ Cox wrote:
> 
> > I didn't post that quote to start a flame war, but
> > calling Python a watered-down Lisp goes a bit far.
> > AFAIK, it wasn't even based on Lisp. Sure, it has
> > quite a few Lispish features, esp. the dynamism.
> > But Python is much more than just a Lisp rip-off.
> 
> Is there any connection with Smalltalk?  Python feels very
> much like "Smalltalk done better" to me.

I think Python's primary influences were ABC and Modula-3,
but features of many languages can be recognized in it,
of course. Python's OO, for example, resembles Smalltalk
more than it does Java or C++ (IMHO). It's possible that
Smalltalk was an influence, but it's hard to trace.

--Hans (base64.decodestring('d3VybXlAZWFydGhsaW5rLm5ldA==') 
       # decode for email address ;-)
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